Mothers And Mavens: Mitra And Mina Shamsa Make Real Estate a Family Affair

Dallas Realtor Mitra Shamsa immigrated from Iran, sold shoes at the mall, and took a real estate exam – hard work and hustle so she could treasure Sunday evenings with her beloved family.

Now daughter Mina has joined the family business, and the mother-daughter duo spends every day side by side. 

Mina Shamsa got her start in real estate in 2019 after a decade-long career in digital advertising. 

“For years, my mom asked me incessantly to join her in the business, but I always pushed back,” said Mina, who works alongside her mother at Ebby Halliday Realtors. “I’m sure it was a bit out of rebellion and a bit out of feeling like it’s not a career that I would be successful in that made me push back.”

Turns out, mother knew best. 

“She saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself until I started gaining traction and closing deals,” Mina said. “What I didn’t know she knew all along and I think it’s a proud feeling for her, too.”

Mitra Shamsa said she’s blessed to get to work with her daughter. 

“My kids have always meant the world to me,” she said. “When I left Iran in 1978, I left all my family behind. We have always been a close-knit family and that was a source of joy in my life. I wanted to continue that close relationship with my kids. Mina has always been a very caring child and she was always there for me when I needed her. We are as close as any mother and daughter can be.”

A New Career

Mitra started her sales career in the shoe department at Lord & Taylor at NorthPark Center working nights and weekends so the children didn’t have to go to daycare. One night, the husband of a client approached Mitra and said he could tell she was a good salesperson, and that she ought to pursue a career in real estate. 

When Mina was 6 years old, Mitra took that customer’s advice and signed up for real estate classes. Mitra began working for Ebby Halliday in 1992 and remains there today. Mina joined her about four years ago and they work together as a team. 

“Being close and understanding each other really helps us serve our clients,” Mitra said. “Even if one of us is unavailable for some reason or on vacation, we can cover for each other. Our clients are never without a quick response or help when they need it.” 

Real estate has evolved since Mitra started her career in the 1990s, and the mother-and-daughter team has learned together over the past few years. 

“I remember going to the office with her to pick up a fax and the stack of Mapscos in her backseat,” Mina recalled. “My mom is more traditional, whereas I am more progressive. She is more business-minded and I can be more creative and analytical. My background is in advertising so I’ve been able to step up our marketing game significantly since we started our team. I’m also a numbers nerd and I have shown her how to be more efficient by using online tools that she wouldn’t have used before. She’s taught me that what’s new isn’t always what’s best, especially from a marketing standpoint. I’ve learned that ethics and integrity are above everything else, even if it’s not personally beneficial. She’s taught me that the best transactions are when two agents are working together as a team to get to an end goal, not working against each other. And she’s an incredibly skilled negotiator. I’ve always been more diplomatic when it comes to negotiation, so I’ve learned that sometimes asking tough questions or making it hard for someone to say no are necessary to get what’s best for your clients.” 

Mutual Respect

Mitra said she admires her daughter’s listening skills and how she cares for her clients.

“She really exemplifies what Ebby herself always told her agents: ‘Do your best for your clients and business will come to you.’”

Mina said she values the drive and work ethic of her mother, who came to this country in the 1970s, not knowing a soul and speaking English as a second language. 

“Sometimes it takes perspective to realize the journey someone else has gone through, and now that I’m older and a mother myself, I look back and think about how truly incredible her story is,” Mina said. “She’s told me stories about taking phone shifts at the office and sitting next to Top Producers to learn how they spoke and handled situations. She would knock on doors and put in long hours. Her success did not come easy. My brother and I had a wonderful childhood and I don’t think I truly understood how much she worked to give us a happy life until I got older.”

 The Shamsas will celebrate Mother’s Day this year, as they have done every Sunday for more than 12 years, with a “non-negotiable” family dinner at the matriarch’s home. Mitra said she’s doubly blessed that her daughter and son both live in the Dallas area.

“Mother’s Day they will be there, and I am sure that it will be with more flowers and hugs [than a usual Sunday dinner],” she said. “A big hug is the best gift to me. And of course, since both of my children have children, there will be three mothers being celebrated: myself, Mina, and my daughter-in-law.”

Often Mitra cooks Persian food for 10 people right after a long open house — but she enjoys it because it brings the family together. And don’t even think about saying you have other plans on a Sunday night, Mina said. 

“It’s not going to happen,” she said. “I made it very clear to my husband before he proposed to me that every Sunday we will be at my mom’s house so good luck with that 7 o’clock Cowboys kickoff. I admit there are weeks when I want to just stay home after an open house, because, yes, we’re Realtors and are working every Sunday, but it’s like working out. I never regret it after.”